"As always, there are the usual nominees and some newcomers, some famous and some unknowns, hailing from the four corners of the world," the head of the Nobel Institute, Geir Lundestad, said. With 188 individuals and 43 organizations, the number comes close to last year's record of 241.

Among the people known to have been nominated this year are former United States president Bill Clinton, ex-German chancellor Helmut Kohl who led his country's reunification process , and Ukraine's ex-premier and now jailed opposit…